Triumph Street Triple 765 RS 2023 Review

Naked sportsbikes, like Triumph’s Street Triple 765 RS, are where it’s at. It is where manufacturers are developing and releasing new offerings, and where people are laying down their hard-earned dollars on the showroom floor.

The list of naked sportsbikes on offer is lengthy, with nearly all manufacturers throwing at least one hat in the ring. Standouts such as Ducati’s Streetfighter V4 and Aprilia’s Tuono V4 offer superbike performance with an upright riding position.

So how could a bike with considerably less engine capacity and power output compete with such Herculean machines?

Triumph released the first Street Triple in 2007, which started life as a 675cc model. Triumph combined two successful sellers – the Daytona 675 Supersport and Speed Triple 1050 (now into its fourth generation) – and created a mid-sized sub-1000cc naked with its own successful niche.

The Street Triple has continued to evolve since, with each update improving the performance and styling of the bike. With the release of the model’s fourth generation in 2018, the engine capacity increased to its current 765cc.

Due to diminishing global supersport sales, the Daytona 675cc was discontinued in 2018. A new chapter began for the mid-sized triple-cylinder engine when Triumph replaced Honda as the sole engine supplier for the Moto2 World Championship from 2019. Development of the engine was again a focus as it would expose the brand and its iconic triple-cylinder exhaust note to ears all over the globe.

I have been lucky enough to test each generation Street Triple and have become a fan of the easy-going performance on offer. So much so that Kaz (my better half) and I purchased one as our daily whip back in 2013. We have had a couple of other naked bikes of other brands since but are now back with a 2018 model Street Triple RS.

Looking at the history of the Street Triple, there have been continued updates and improvements but, at its core, the bike has retained the features that made it so appealing from the start. It’s a lightweight, easy-to-handle motorcycle that’s powered by an unintimidating triple-cylinder engine with sufficient power to keep things exciting when wanted.

The Street Triple is a perfect example of how less can be more and Triumph got the ingredients close to spot on from day one. But instead of sitting on its laurels, it continued to analyse feedback, gain knowledge, and improve.

There are three models available in the 2023 Street Triple 765 range: the Street Triple 765 R, the Street Triple 765 RS, and the Street Triple 765 Moto2 Edition.

With the R model yet to reach our shores (at the launch date) and the Moto2 Edition completely sold out, our focus for the launch was the Street Triple 765 RS.

The RS will surely be the most popular in the range as it gets a host of performance upgrades over the R model for a relatively minor increase in the ticket price.

The aluminium beam twin-spar frame/subframe and cast-alloy gullwing swingarm remain unchanged. The 41mm Showa fork and Öhlins rear shock are retained, albeit with updated internals.

A massive change has been made to the setup of this chassis/suspension combination via a simple 20mm spacer on the rear shock top mount. Raising the ride height has decreased the fork rake from 23.9mm to 23.2mm, and trail from 100mm to 96.9mm.

Final-drive gearing has also changed, with one tooth off the front and two more teeth on the rear sprocket (16/46 to 15/48) reducing the wheelbase by 6mm (now 1399mm).

The 765cc three-cylinder engine may look the same but there’s been lots of fettling inside. Compression is up from 12.65:1 to 13.25:1, and the combustion chamber, inlet and exhaust ports have all been revised. Pistons, gudgeon pins, conrods, camshafts and valves are all new, while the intake trumpets are shorter. The crankshaft, clutch and balancer gears are all new along with other internal gearbox changes. Combined mods have improved the overall power output by 7hp to an impressive 128.2hp (95.6kW) at 12,000rpm, and 80Nm at 9500rpm.

These improvements are all thanks to what Triumph has learned from Moto2 racing.

Electronics haven’t gone untouched either, with a new IMU featuring cornering ABS, switchable (cornering) traction control, and front wheel lift control. The clutch-less quick-shifter now operates both up and down, while the 5-inch TFT dash remains with updated graphics. There are five ride modes to choose from that adjust throttle maps, response, ABS, traction control and power output.

A smaller (down 2.4L) 15L fuel tank gives the bike a more compact appearance while newly styled radiator cowls, headlight finisher and belly-pan combine give the bike a sharper, more nose-down aggressive stance.

And in the braking department, the Brembo front brakes are upgraded and now feature Stylema four-piston radial-mount monobloc calipers.

Triumph Australia chose Adelaide as its departure point for the media launch. Riding through the bustling city streets during peak hour on a chilly morning was our initial introduction.

Knowing the Street Triple model so well gave me an excellent reference point for comparison. The first thing I noticed was the handlebars, which are now 12mm wider and with a flatter bend. This gives you more leverage to turn what’s already an easy-to-steer machine.

The gearbox offers a more precise shift and the clutch-less downshifting (new for this model) is also faultless. My cold hands reminded me the bike doesn’t come with heated grips, although they are a $395 option.

The 20mm raised rear ride height inadvertently lifts the seat height (now 836mm), although being a slim shape it’s still an easy reach for your feet to the floor.

Making our way out through the Adelaide Hills the weather was less than ideal, with strong winds and passing showers. Such conditions weren’t much good for testing lean angles but certainly highlighted how user-friendly the bike is. Road mode delivered a smooth throttle response, and combined braking ABS added peace of mind in the wet.

We soon cleared the rain as we rode closer to the coast, with our destination being The Bend Motorsport Park. As the road opened up, the Street Triple was now on touring duty. The shorter gearing finds the bike buzzing closer to 6000rpm than 5000rpm as its predecessor would. Cruise control and a higher screen would be worthy options to choose if distance is in your plans on the Street Triple.

Day two of the launch, and my first sample of The Bend complex. Hats off to Triumph Australia: they booked the east circuit option exclusively for us to put the model through its paces. This course is 3.93km long, including 22 turns that range from sweeping to tight with both positive and negative cambers.

I’ve been lucky enough to ride race tracks all over the world and can honestly say this stands out as special. When you compare Phillip Island’s 4.45km has just 12 turns, this east course was hectic.

We were greeted with near-perfect cool and clear conditions for our track time and got stuck straight in. The racetrack allowed me to push the bike to limits far beyond what could be safely done on the street. This showcased the long list of improvements.

The engine enhancements, combined with shorter gearing and a closer-ratio gearbox, give the power delivery a noticeable improvement in urgency.

Steeper steering finds you able to flick the bike from one direction to the next regardless of the speed you are carrying. Surprisingly, the stability under acceleration or hard braking hasn’t been compromised by this change. On the subject of braking, the new Brembo Stylema calipers are outstanding, delivering both excellent power and feel, and making my 2018 model’s stoppers feel wooden in comparison.

Once I got familiar with the technical course layout I pitted for some adjustments. To begin with, the chassis settings are more compliant than before: good on the road but a little plush for the track at speed. Being fully adjustable I simply added a few millimeters of preload to both fork and shock units, selected track mode (no more combined braking) and headed back on track.

These changes meant the bike could be ridden so much harder – I started thinking I was a Moto2 rider myself.

I can’t find enough superlatives to describe how well the new Street Triple works. No matter how hard I pushed, the RS never felt anything but rock-solid stable and in control. I never felt the ABS or TC intervene yet I was pushing to a limit I wouldn’t have thought possible on the previous model.

What Triumph has done with this bike is commendable. In a naked, road-rider friendly format is a bike that delivers on-track performance far beyond what anyone could expect.

Bikes such as Yamaha’s MT-09SP and KTM 890 Duke R have always been super-strong competitors for the Street Triple, but Triumph has kept on the front foot with its latest creation.

The new Street Triple RS ensures Triumph will retain its place in the top echelon of this competitive mid-size sector with a build quality, finish and list of features that far exceed its affordable price.

It’s a shame that so many riders’ egos won’t allow them to step down to a sub-1000cc motorcycle, as this Speed Triple RS is a giant killer.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, 12-valve inline triple
Capacity: 765cc
Bore x stroke: 78.0mm x 53.4mm
Compression ratio: 13.25:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 128hp (95.6kW) at 12,000rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 80Nm at 9500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Twin-spa aluminium beam with two-piece die-cast subframe
Front suspension: 41mm Showa inverted Big Piston Fork (BPF), fully adjustable
Rear suspension: Monoshock, Öhlins STX40 piggyback, fully adjustable
Front brakes: Dual 310mm discs with Brembo Stylema four-piston radial-mount monobloc calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 220mm disc with Brembo single-piston caliper, switchable ABS
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 – 120/70 ZR 17 front, 180/55 ZR 17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 188kg
Seat height: 836mm
Wheelbase: 1399mm
Fuel capacity: 15L

OTHER STUFF
Price: From $20,590 ride away
Colours: Carnival Red, Silver Ice, Cosmic Yellow
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres